In a recent post on Inside Higher Ed, I talk about on-campus career and professional development opportunities. Never again after graduate school will you have access to so many free, high-quality career development services. Those same services would cost you thousands if you were to enroll in them as a professional.

Graduate studies is a crucial period during which you need to be doing more than just taking comprehensive exams and writing your dissertation. You need to be developing professional skills that will help you on or off the tenure track, because graduate school doesn’t teach you how to budget your grants (or do business finance), supervise your lab staff (or become a hiring manager), or run an undergraduate department (or coordinate business operations). You don’t need to be the version of me from five years ago, the one who didn’t know how to move into another career or how to build the skills that would let her do it easily and successfully. You should be the me I became while working for my university, the one who used the skills development opportunities offered by the career center and a host of other units to help her get that first nonfaculty job.

Head over to IHE for my thoughts on how to make the most of what your campus offers.